3-D silly but EVO 3D smart overall

There has been a big push for 3-D at movie theaters and on TV sets, so it was only a matter of time before digitally enhanced fisticuffs started popping out of smartphone screens, too.

The 3-D technology is the most boasted-about feature on HTC's new EVO 3D smartphone, which goes on sale Friday. You can watch 3-D movies and play 3-D games without putting on annoying glasses. You can shoot 3-D photos and videos, too.

The inclusion of 3-D is gimmicky and might make you feel nauseous, but it is creative at times and the EVO 3D is a fine smartphone overall. The phone costs $200 with a two-year service plan with Sprint Nextel Corp.

I wear glasses, so I was excited that I didn't need to put on another pair to try out the EVO 3D. The phone creates the appearance of depth using a technique called autostereoscopy. The screen has a layer that guides light so that the light from one pixel goes to the left eye and from the next to the right.

I got right to work watching a 3-D version of "The Green Hornet," which came with the phone. I was wowed by a fight scene where glass seemed to be flying out of the screen. A friend I handed the phone to even flinched when the shards blew past.

I also checked out some animated 3-D clips on YouTube. The scenes that looked best were, not surprisingly, those with people and objects in the foreground and background and with things moving right toward the camera.

Whether I was watching 3-D or 2-D videos, the phone's 4.3-inch touch screen was crisp and colors looked vivid.

That said, my brain wasn't thrilled about processing the 3-D images, so I couldn't stare at the display for long without feeling queasy.

It was also evident that I wouldn't really be able to share the dizzying experience with friends unless I handed them the phone. You need to tilt the EVO 3D in your hands until you find the viewing angle that is optimal for your eyes. That may not be an optimal angle for the person next to or behind you.

You can, however, involve buddies by letting them star in a 3-D movie or in photos that you shoot with the EVO 3D. The phone takes pictures or videos by recording overlapping images when its two 5-megapixel cameras are side by side. The camera lenses are positioned next to each other only when the phone is on its side, so you can only capture things in 3-D in "landscape" mode.

I couldn't manage to take any great shots, however. The images always seemed fuzzily misaligned, even with the inclusion of a feature for adjusting the alignment of the images.

I was more successful with the 3-D video camera, though I couldn't test whether objects really fly off the screen because my colleagues wouldn't hold the camera for me so I could throw things at them (even when I promised to lob only wads of paper at the lens).

I could see how the 3-D mode might come in handy for recording sporting events, especially if you're crazy enough to jump into the fray and fast enough to stay ahead of the action.

If you're not into flowers or people popping out of the screen, you can switch to 2-D mode by pressing a button on the side of the phone.

I also liked that the phone had a button dedicated to the camera, which I always find easier to take photos and videos with than a virtual touch-screen button.

The phone has a front-facing camera, too, for taking self-portraits or video chatting.

Not wanting to lose my lunch all over the phone, I took a break from the 3-D features and checked out the rest of the phone.

The mostly black EVO 3D runs on Gingerbread, which is the latest version of Google's Android meant for smartphones. As I've seen on other Gingerbread-running phones, the software is easy to use and speedy. 

The phone uses HTC's Sense software as well, the best part of which is a customizable smarty-pants screen that is visible when the phone is locked. You can set it to show stock quotes, weather, social network updates or other content without unlocking the device. 

The phone swiftly opened applications and Web pages and streamed content with ease over Sprint's next-generation, high-speed 4G network. 

It was also easy to type on, as it includes the uber-useful Swype keyboard software, which lets you slide your fingers on the virtual keyboard to type. I also liked the inclusion of an FM radio, as it offers a way to listen to tunes without requiring Internet access or the storage of songs on the phone itself. 

Aside from the stomach-churning aspect of the 3-D feature, I had only a few complaints: 

• I still make plenty of calls on cellphones, so I was disappointed that the EVO 3D's sound quality wasn't very good, with voices sounding muffled.

• The phone's battery life wasn't fabulous. In a day of heavy usage, which included making phone calls, recording and watching 3-D videos and surfing the Web, I got 5.5 hours before needing a recharge.

• I missed having a built-in kickstand, a feature available on the EVO 3D's predecessor, the EVO 4G.

Nonetheless, the EVO 3D has strong software and plenty of other useful features. Although 3-D is touted as this smartphone's coolest feature, it's merely a silly extra that's occasionally useful than a necessity. And beyond that, the phone has a lot more to offer that won't make you feel queasy. 

3-D silly but EVO 3D smart overall

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Google Launch Chromebook Laptop

Google Launch Chromebook Laptop.. The company will offer businesses its Chromebooks, along with technical support, as a hassle-free solution for $28 a month. The laptops, using processors made by Intel, will be available...

Google has launched an audacious attack on Microsoft, announcing laptop computers called Chromebooks that will use its own operating system – rather than Windows – will ship in June.

The machines will be made by Samsung and Acer, two companies that have previously made machines running Microsoft's software.

The laptops will coordinate tightly with Google's "cloud" online services, and have almost no capacity to store information. Instead, the bare-bones operating system is essentially a web browser that steers users to applications like email and spreadsheets directly on the web, rather than storing software such as Outlook or Word directly on PCs.

The move is Google's first directly onto Microsoft's home turf of PC operating systems and the Office suite software – a pair of monopolies that generate around $5bn of profits for the company every quarter. Until now it has largely avoided direct competition with Bill Gates's company on its strongest areas, focusing instead on internet areas such as search and webmail and online document services.

The Chromebooks shift day-to-day functions onto the internet, removing what Google sees as the time-consuming burden of tasks associated with traditional PCs such as installing software and updates, backing up files and running antivirus checks, executives said.

"The complexity of managing your computer is torturing users," Google co-founder Sergey Brin said at the announcement at Google's IO conference in San Francisco. "It's a flawed model fundamentally. Chromebooks are a new model that doesn't put the burden of managing your computer on yourself."

PC sales have grown steadily over the past 15 years, with brief dips during the recession, but there are signs of slowdowns, especially in Europe and the US, among consumers. Businesses are Microsoft's most loyal customers. Google is aiming at such "enterprise" customers, too, with the suggestion that their data will be safer in the cloud than on a PC that could get lost or stolen.

The company will offer businesses its Chromebooks, along with technical support, as a hassle-free solution for $28 a month. The laptops, using processors made by Intel, will be available for order initially in the US on Amazon.com and Best Buy's online store from 15 June.

As with Google's Android mobile operating system, the Chrome operating system (Chrome OS) will be free. The intention is that it will encourage people to spend more time on the internet – where they are more likely to use Google and so see or click on its adverts, because Google is the dominant provider of search adverts, with about 90% of world share.

In another move encouraging people to move their computing off their PCs and onto "the cloud", Google on Tuesday launched an online music locker service in the US letting users store and listen to their songs wherever they are.

The operating system and Chromebook PCs expand on Google's web browser, also called Chrome, that competes against Microsoft's Internet Explorer. Earlier on Wednesday Google announced that there are 160m users of its Chrome browser, launched in September 2008.

Google targets Microsoft with launch of Chromebook laptop

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Apple Wireless Keyboard Review

The completely cable-free Apple Wireless Keyboard uses Bluetooth technology to connect with your Mac or iPad. So you're free to move the keyboard just about anywhere within range and wirelessly type away. And it is slim, compact design takes less space. 

Review on amazon.com  :

(Roger J. Buffington) : I love Apple products, but must run a Windows 7 system for professional reasons. I greatly envied my daughter's Apple keyboard, and a Bing search indicated that the Apple keyboard would work fine with Windows. Well, it does. There are a few Windows specific keys missing, and a few Mac specific keys that don't do much on this keykboard, but really all the keys that almost all Windows users will want are right here. The keyboard installed on my desktop Windows machine in seconds as a Bluetooth device, and works flawlessly. I had no setup issues whatever. None.

The keyboard itself is a beautiful, minimalist device, but nonetheless constitutes a full-sized keyboard, albeit without the numeric pad. Despite the fact that I am a power touch typist, I have never once used the numeric pad on any keyboard, so I appreciate the notion of giving up the numeric pad in exchange for having a smaller device on the desktop. Not everyone will agree, of course. Also missing are the delete key and the printscreen key. I admit that I miss the delete key, but the destructive backspace key is an adequate substitute.

The keyboard seems to be just the right size for my hands (I am not a big guy) and although it is not one of the curved "ergonomic" keyboards, I find myself quite comfortable typing continuously with this keyboard. The keys themselves have a nice solid feel; most typists will like the feel of these keys.

I like the fact that this keyboard uses readily-available AA batteries. It shuts off when not in use, and springs to life instantly upon the touch of a key. Very good design.

Highly recommended for anyone who does not mind eschewing the numeric keypad, the delete key and printscreen. RJB.

Apple Wireless Keyboard Review

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Privacy flaw in Skype Android app exposed

Privacy flaw in Skype Android app exposed... The Contacts table holds similar information, but on friends, family and anyone else in your contact list (that is, more than Skype exposes on other users publicly). Moving further along, looking into the Chats table, we can see your instant messages – and that's just the tip of it. Scary

Skype "working to protect you" from vulnerability.

Skype has acknowledged a dangerous flaw in its Android app which leaves the private data of its users open to be exploided by malicious apps.

While the app itself hasn't been giving the data up to snoopers, the design of the app leaves a database file unencrypted, leaving things like your username and password, email address, address and phone number exposed.

If a user has a malicious app installed on their Android phone then those details can be pilfered and sent back to the shady individual in question.

In a brief blog post, Skype has said it is "working to protect you from this vulnerability."

The flaw was discovered by the super sleuths at AndroidPolice.com who posted the following information :

"The most interesting file one can gain access to is main.db. The accounts table in this database holds information such as account balance, full name, date of birth, city/state/country, home phone, office phones, cell phone, email addresses, your webpage, your bio, and more.

"The Contacts table holds similar information, but on friends, family and anyone else in your contact list (that is, more than Skype exposes on other users publicly). Moving further along, looking into the Chats table, we can see your instant messages – and that's just the tip of it. Scary.

"This means that a rogue developer could modify an existing application…, distribute that application on the Market, and just watch as all that private user information pours in. While the exploit can't steal your credit card info, the data it's harvesting is still clearly very private (chat logs linked back to your real name, address, and phone number)." 

Privacy flaw in Skype Android app exposed

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Intel Launches Chip For Tablet Computers

Intel launches chip for tablet computers... As for smartphones, Intel says a processor for that market is scheduled for release later this year. Intel, based in Santa Clara, Calif., has not announced specifications for those chips

Intel Corp. has launched a new chip for tablet computers, as the world's most powerful semiconductor company aims to become a contender in the market for mobile chips.

Intel's chips are in 80 percent of laptops and desktop PCs, but it's had less success getting its chips into smaller devices such as cellphones and tablets. Known for pushing the processing speeds of its chips to the limit, energy efficiency has now become critical for Intel as gadgets and their batteries get smaller, testing the limits of engineering in a different way. And with more consumers starting to opt to buy tablets instead of upgrading their PCs, Intel is looking to diversify its revenue sources.

Intel's chips have been maligned as too power-hungry for the smallest of mobile devices, a criticism Intel is hoping its new chips address. Intel is trying to elbow in to a mobile market dominated by lower-power processors from companies such as Qualcomm Inc. and Texas Instruments Inc. Apple Inc. designs its own chip for the iPad.

Intel also faces a challenge in that mobile chips are generally built around a different chip design, from a company called ARM Holdings Inc., than the so-called x86 design that Intel uses. Intel said Monday that more than 35 tablet and "hybrid" computers are being built on its newest chip, which is part of the Atom family of chips.

As for smartphones, Intel says a processor for that market is scheduled for release later this year. Intel, based in Santa Clara, Calif., has not announced specifications for those chips.

Intel has a history of dabbling in, and retreating from, the wireless business, so the company's success in this market is not a foregone conclusion.

It sold its mobile-chip business in 2006, then last year bought the wireless-chip division of Germany's Infineon Technologies AG for $1.4 billion. With that deal, Intel bought its way back in to a booming market, but only got a bit player. The Infineon division, while notching some high-profile wins such as Apple's iPhone, only owned about 5 percent of the total market for processors and other communications chips for mobile phones, according to Gartner Inc.

Analysts are split about Intel's prospects. Some say Intel is too late to the game to score any major market share. Others caution that Intel, with $11.7 billion in net income last year on $43.6 billion in revenue, has plenty of money to pour into making its mobile division a winner.

 Intel launches chip for tablet computers

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Microsoft : not to jailbreak Windows Phone 7

Microsoft asks users not to jailbreak Windows Phone 7... Unofficial updates are not supported by Microsoft, which says that “you might not be getting the important device-specific software we would typically deliver in the official update...

Microsoft asks users not to jailbreak Windows Phone 7.. Users have been jailbreaking their Windows Phone 7 devices to get quick access to an official update Microsoft has used its Windows Phone 7 update blog to ask users not to jailbreak their handsets so that they can upgrade to a new operating system that includes copy and paste.

Eric Hautala, General Manager of Customer Experience Engineering, writes that the firm is “not going to be happy until everyone gets their update”. He says, however, that although “we’ve started delivering the March “copy and paste” update to customers of O2 and SFR in Europe…I’ve noticed that some of you are turning to homebrew solutions to update your phone immediately.”

Jailbreaking is the practice of giving an individual user more control over their phone than the manufacturers of the hardware or software intended.

Hautala says that “As an engineer and a gadget lover, I totally understand the impulse to tinker. You want the latest technology and you’re tired of waiting. Believe me, I get it. But my strong advice is: wait.”

Unofficial updates are not supported by Microsoft, which says that “you might not be getting the important device-specific software we would typically deliver in the official update. Or your phone might get misconfigured and not receive future updates. It’s even possible your phone might stop working properly.”

Hautala continues, “Bottom line: unsupported workarounds put you in uncharted territory that may void your phone warranty.”

Users, however, have been keen to point out that they’re only jailbreaking phones because Microsoft has been slow to roll-out the update. Google Android and Apple’s iOS rival operating systems both already offer copy and paste, among other features.

Microsoft asks users not to jailbreak Windows Phone 7

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Root Android App Shows Coverage Maps

Root Android App Shows Coverage Maps. However, now that tens of thousands of iPhone users have the app, that's changed. "Ironically, the most common request on the iPhone app is 'can you enable persistent data collection,'" he said. Users want to be able to turn on data collection for a specific period, for example, during their commute

Root Metrics on Wednesday will start offering an Android app that lets users compare coverage of the various mobile operators and contribute to Root's network measurement service. "

Root collects data about wireless network performance, sharing some with consumers and selling more detailed reports to operators. It collects the data in two ways, including hiring people who drive around cities in cars equipped with phones from all the large carriers running Root's data collection software. 

In addition, Root lets iPhone and now Android users download software to their phones that collects and sends Root data about network coverage and performance and also shares with users some of the same data.

Root had offered a bare-bones beta app for Android and BlackBerry users more than a year ago, but it didn't have much of a user interface, said Paul Griff, co-founder and CEO of Root. 

With the new Android app, like the iPhone app, users can view a map of their location that shows the coverage of their operator, using a color-coded scheme where green is the best coverage and black is the worst. Users also get a basic comparison of coverage of the other operators in their area. Anyone can view the maps on Root's website http://www.rootmetrics.com/. 

The apps also let users test the speed of their data connections. On the Android app, that test uses an updated method. On the iPhone client, the app tests data rates by downloading a relatively small 64K bit file to the phone. 

"The way people use their phones and what they do with the data network has changed dramatically," Griff explained. "It used to be you'd grab a Google search page or get directions or e-mail." The 64K bit test was designed to mimic the most common use of data on phones. 

Now, however, people are downloading movies and music to their phones and uploading photos. Using the small packet size doesn't give a fair measure of the higher-speed data networks, he said. 

So the new Android app measures speed over a period of time and by opening multiple concurrent sessions, which is the way that the Android browser works by default, he said. In addition to download speed, the app measures performance by collecting data about whether the connection gets broken, how quickly the session opens and what are the minimum and maximum speeds during the test period. 

For now, only the basic download speed data will be displayed to phone users. Root expects to soon update the iPhone client to test data downloads in a similar way. 

Also, in the second quarter, Root expects to update the maps to display additional network measurement information. That could help in instances where the map may show excellent coverage while a user is unable to make a call because the network is overloaded. "We are developing and will start introducing in the public maps some new ways of filtering data that will give you a look at congestion and other dimensions of performance," he said. 

In both apps, the only time it collects data is when the user interacts with the application. The original beta applications collected data in the background without user involvement. "The feedback was people didn't want anybody collecting anything without overt involvement," Griff said. 

However, now that tens of thousands of iPhone users have the app, that's changed. "Ironically, the most common request on the iPhone app is 'can you enable persistent data collection,'" he said. Users want to be able to turn on data collection for a specific period, for example, during their commute. Griff said Root plans to add a feature like that in the future. 

Next week, Root expects to release its first full-scale market profile, starting with Seattle. The report, some of which Root will release publicly, will rank carriers by voice and data network performance. The company hopes to release such reports, which it will sell to operators and other interested companies, for more than 130 markets this year. 

Targeting operators with such products has kept Root busy enough that it has put off one of the initial goals of the company: offering a service for enterprises. "We will get there," Griff said. "It was the original genesis of the company. But frankly I don't foresee us focusing on that enterprise market in the coming couple of quarters."

Root Android App Shows Coverage Maps

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Obama To Host Facebook Townhall On Budget

I am not saying Facebook isn’t important, said one top Democratic online operative. It is very important. And it is great the White House is engaging people on Facebook. I think what people were objecting to is the thesis of the article, which is that email and blogs are dead and social media has to be the focus in 2012 because.....

In yet another nod to the influence of social media, President Obama announced Tuesday that he will host a townhall meeting via Facebook on April 20. The nation's budget outlook will be the primary focus of the meeting.

The announcement, made on the Facebook page of the White House, provides another strong indication of how widely used the medium has become in national politics. 

“President Obama will connect with Americans across the country to discuss the tough choices we must all make in order to put our economy on a more responsible fiscal path, while still investing in areas like innovation that will help our economy grow and make America more competitive,” the post reads. 

The actual event will take place at Facebook’s headquarters, featuring CEO Mark Zuckerberg and COO Sheryl Sandberg. But it will be live-streamed for all users and questions will be submitted right on the page itself. 

While this is an official White House event, it may offer some clues to how Obama's 2012 campaign might be organized. The townhall announcement was made just one day after the president announced his reelection bid. His new media team clearly finds the Facebook forum a comfortable one to traverse. But the extent to which they can rely on social media sites over more traditional campaign outreach tools is not an insignificant question.

On Monday, Politico’s Byron Tau wrote an article describing the “brave new Web world,” confronting Obama -- a world in which email and blogs “have been declared passé.” The piece sparked heavy debate among party operatives, many of whom were critical of the notion that email and blogs were relics of antiquity. 

“I’m not saying Facebook isn’t important,” said one top Democratic online operative. “It is very important. And it is great the White House is engaging people on Facebook. I think what people were objecting to is the thesis of the article, which is that email and blogs are dead and social media has to be the focus in 2012 because times are so different." 

He also noted that older Web tools will remain important for donations: "Most of the money raised is going to come from email. So to say that email is passé is, I think, terribly misguided,” he said.

Obama To Host Facebook Townhall On Budget

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Google one step closer to mobile payments

The Bloomberg article said Google is planning to pay for "thousands" of installations of near-field communication systems (NFC) around New York City and San Francisco as part of a test. When consumers buy products where one of the systems is installed, they will need only to hold their devices up to the reader to make a purchase, Bloomberg said

Google is partnering with MasterCard and Citigroup to deliver a mobile-payment service to Android smartphones, according to a report.

Citing anonymous sources, The Wall Street Journal reports that Google will allow people with debit and credit cards from the two financial giants to turn on an app and pay for a purchase from their smartphones. At no point would they need to take those cards out of their wallets to make a purchase.

Google plans to launch the program later this year, according to today's article.

The Journal report follows an earlier claim via Bloomberg that Google will deliver a mobile-payment service in the next few months. The Bloomberg article said Google is planning to pay for "thousands" of installations of near-field communication systems (NFC) around New York City and San Francisco as part of a test. When consumers buy products where one of the systems is installed, they will need only to hold their devices up to the reader to make a purchase, Bloomberg said.

Google has yet to unveil a "mobile wallet" that would go along with its NFC service, but a report that surfaced earlier this year claimed the company was working on a platform code-named "Cream" that would deliver the ability to make payments from NFC-enabled Android devices.

The company's NFC plans are very much up in the air for now. According to The Wall Street Journal's sources, Google will look to expand its partnerships with other financial institutions. However, that will only happen if its first test is successful.

Google one step closer to mobile payments

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Office Depot launches mobile apps

“The advanced functionality of Office Depot’s new mobile applications for the iPhone and Android-based phones provide our customers with a best-in-class experience, including the ability to check out and purchase products without being redirected to another site outside of the mobile application.”

iPhone And Android Apps Launch From Office Depot

Office Depot has expanded its mobile offerings and has launched an iPhone and Android app available for free download on iTunes and the Android Market.

The new apps are part of the company’s broader “Office Depot Anywhere” strategy aimed at helping people show via a variety of mobile platforms and m-commerce sites.

The apps allow users to browse and buy products from their mobile phone, read product revies, find a store location, access order history, track shipments, scan a product barcode in store for detailed descriptions, reviews and pricing. 

The Office Depot iPhone and Android apps also allows users to “follow” their mobile shopping cart across multiple devices.

“We know our customers are busy and sometimes the only time they have to shop for their office needs is between meetings, in the airport, or from the road,” said Barry Litwin, Vice President of E-Commerce for Office Depot. 

“The advanced functionality of Office Depot’s new mobile applications for the iPhone and Android-based phones provide our customers with a best-in-class experience, including the ability to check out and purchase products without being redirected to another site outside of the mobile application.” 

Office Depot says it plans to add more mobile platforms in the future, including BlackBerry and Microsoft operating systems, as well as tablet devices.

iPhone And Android Apps

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Sony NSX-46GT1 – Google TV

I got the 46 inch model in my labs for review and all these panels, except for 24 inch model, have LED backlighting. The 24 inch TV is based on standard CCFL technology. The cost ranges from $1,399 for 46 inch product to $599 for 24 inch TV. The pricing is attractive and it is on par with other large HDTVs in the market

Sony NSX-46GT1 is a TV with Google TV and it is the first panel to have this feature. The service is integrated in to the panel itself and you don’t need something like an external set top box for getting the Google TV features. Apart from that, this is a standard edge-lit LCD TV and you won’t find a lot of higher end features here like 120 Hz video processing. Google TV is the main feature here and it lets you search through internet video sources and also your TV sources from antenna, set top or cable from the same search window. You just have to go in, look for the desired show title and then browse through the results from internet, satellite, cable or variety of TV services.

Sony NSX-46GT1 is the first TV ever to incorporate all the sources in to a single search window. This TV has a unique remote and I’ve never seen anything like it before. The clicker looks very similar to a PS3 controller and comes with a full QWERTY keyboard for searching the content. Another unique feature on the clickers is the touch sensitive mouse located on the right side for moving the cursor around. This mouse area is flanked by left, right, down and up buttons which makes the selection easy. I liked the remote, it is pretty slick but also bulkier all others I have had till now. It has a learning curve. This remote is based on RF technology and you don’t have to be in line of sight for controlling the TV.

You can also control other devices AV devices or cable box through the Sony NSX-46GT1. But for full integration, you will have to hook this TV up to dish DVR. This TV is available in four different screen sizes of 32 inches, 40 inches, 46 inches, and 24 inches. I got the 46 inch model in my labs for review and all these panels, except for 24 inch model, have LED backlighting. The 24 inch TV is based on standard CCFL technology. The cost ranges from $1,399 for 46 inch product to $599 for 24 inch TV. The pricing is attractive and it is on par with other large HDTVs in the market.

Sony will be announcing a Blu-ray player called NSG-ZT1 with a price tag of $399. This player too has all these Google TV features and it is for people who own a TV and still want the Google TV goodies. Sony NSX-46GT1 has apps like Twitter, Amazon Video on Demand, Netflix, etc. Sony will be getting more apps soon like Facebook.

Another cool feature on the Sony NSX-46GT1 is its access to the internet. There is a Chrome browser built-in for surfing through the video Websites like PBS.org, ComedyCentral.com, etc. accessing these sites was easier as compared to other Internet based TVs that I’ve previously seen in the market. The only big disappointment is absence of Hulu.com. You cannot search Hulu or play any of its videos.

[ Read More ]

Android Looks to Overtake BlackBerry, iPhone

Android devices will be tops in market share globally, not just in the United States. Nokia's share will continue to erode, as will RIM's and Apple's. Unless Apple can find a way to step up its development rate or provide a broader choice in models, it's likely that the popularity of iPhones will decline fairly quickly

 Google Android Smartphone OS Will Overtake BlackBerry, iPhone OSes.

News Analysis: Android-based devices could outnumber BlackBerry smartphones and iPhones by the end of 2010, and match Symbian sooner than expected.

I suppose that it's just as well that Apple's Steve Jobs is used to being at the bottom in terms of market share, because it's about to happen again. According to Gartner research it will happen by the end of 2010, when the Android mobile OS will have surpassed both Apple's iOS and Research In Motion's BlackBerry operating system to reach second place behind only Symbian. By 2014, according to the report, Android and Symbian will be approximately equal in market share.

Interestingly, this growth to parity with Symbian is happening about two years sooner than Gartner had predicted in 2009. What's happened, of course, is that Android has been adopted by a wide variety of manufacturers this year, and it's selling a lot of those devices at prices far lower than Apple sets for the iPhone. In the United States, where Nokia's presence is relatively low, Android is expected to reach the top spot by the end of 2010.

There are many reasons for the explosive growth of Android phones. In the United States, there are a lot of users who can't use the sole iPhone carrier, AT&T, and a lot who could but don't want to, either because they're happy with whatever company provides their wireless service now or because AT&T's service has gotten a poor reputation due to problems with iPhone service.

Android phones, on the other hand, are available from every carrier in the United States, and they're made by nearly every company that builds smartphones. 

This wide range of choices means that you don't have to do things Apple's way if you don't want to. And you don't have to use your smartphone in any particular way because of the number of form factors and interfaces available for Android devices. Giving users a range of choices has always worked well, and it works even better when that range of choices is also less expensive than the alternative.

Apple is trying to combat the market-share erosion caused by Android devices by letting other carriers sell the iPhone. In the United States, it appears that T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless will be getting the iPhone in the near future. However, the chance of Apple actually pulling off an Android upset is remote. The iPhone is too expensive for many buyers who are looking for a phone that's smart enough, but still affordable. Android can offer that, while Apple has been going after the high end of the market and that isn't going to change.

It's the long run that's the most interesting, however. Just as Gartner missed the mark on Android growth last year, it's very likely the predictions are also too conservative this year. The reason lies in the nature of the Symbian market and Nokia's smartphones. Symbian has a large market share due to a preponderance of legacy devices, legacy here being another term for "old." While much of the world has a much lower level of turnover than happens in the United States and Western Europe, old phones are still going to be replaced when they die or when they fail to meet their users' needs. Nokia, with its aging phone population, faces that turnover much sooner than does the Android world. 

So what's going to happen is that a portion of those old Nokia phones are going to be replaced with Android devices, while a much smaller portion of Android devices will be replaced with Symbian phones. Nokia's market share will sink while Android's market share grows. I think the crossing point will happen sooner than predicted in 2014 and could happen as soon as the end of 2012.

At that point, Android devices will be tops in market share globally, not just in the United States. Nokia's share will continue to erode, as will RIM's and Apple's. Unless Apple can find a way to step up its development rate or provide a broader choice in models, it's likely that the popularity of iPhones will decline fairly quickly. RIM will have a similar problem with the BlackBerry, but not to the same extent. RIM has a solid business base that the other makers don't and can't get a part of. But that's not going to keep RIM at the top of the heap, either.

There is, of course, a wild card. Microsoft is getting ready to release its new phone and its new Windows Phone 7 operating system. If the Redmond team can get past the clunky interface and vague models showed in earlier versions of Windows Mobile and the ill-fated Kin line, and if the company can sell those phones at a highly competitive price, then you may see Microsoft gaining significant market share. Right now we don't know what will happen, but remember, one reason Windows has such a huge part of the computer operating system market today is because Microsoft let anybody sell Windows, and machines running it were far cheaper than those running the Mac OS. 

If Microsoft does the same thing with phones, then it could be a factor that upsets all of those carefully (or not-so-carefully) thought-out predictions. We'll have to see, but I think Android is still going to come out on top.

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Apple Approves Google Voice App

Some enterprising developers, such as Sean Kovacs, built apps such as GV Mobile that take the dialing and other capabilities from Google Voice and make them work on Apple's iPhone.

Apple Approves Google Voice App for iPhone App Store.

Apple accepted third-party Google Voice applications GV Mobile and GV Connect into its iPhone App Store. Google's own Google Voice app should be coming soon to the store.

More than 14 months after shutting the door on the official and third-party applications for Google Voice, Apple has relented, approving GV Mobile for the iPhone. 

Google Voice is a phone management application more than 1.4 million people use to route calls to their phones using a special phone number. 

The app, which enables free calls in the U.S. and cheap international calls, lets users enjoy automatic voicemail transcription, the ability to listen to live messages as they come in to voicemail and several other tools to make call management easier.

Google submitted a version of its app for the iPhone to Apple's App Store for approval in June 2009. Some enterprising developers, such as Sean Kovacs, built apps such as GV Mobile that take the dialing and other capabilities from Google Voice and make them work on Apple's iPhone.

Google's app was never approved, though Apple said it never actually rejected the app. 

The he said, she said touched off such scrutiny among the media that the Federal Communications Commission formally questioned Google, Apple and AT&T. Apple, it turned out, was indeed behind the rejection.

Third-party apps such as VoiceCentral and GV Mobile was originally approved but then removed for competing too closely with features on the iPhone. 

Now, Apple has done an about-face, accepting GV Mobile, Kovacs said on his blog Sept. 18.

The app is available for download from the iTunes Webstore here for $2.99. "After a long year and a half of being home sick, GV Mobile makes an epic return to the App Store," Kovacs wrote.

Like Google's version of the app, GV Mobile supports automatic transcription and voicemail playback and most other features. Apple also accepted GV Mobile rival GV Connect, which does what GV Mobile does and also costs $2.99 for purchase here. 

The move comes weeks after Apple loosened the reins on its App Store development rules and procedures after enough developers complained about the gauntlet they had to run.

It's a safe bet that Google's own Voice app will be approved by Apple, if not this year, than early 2011.

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Intel Launch Core 2 Duo, E8600

he big surprise is yet to come, as 2008 seems to be the first year when Intel will not ship any Pentium-class processor. The company has successfully transitioned to the Core technology in both low- and high level products.

The new CPU will be based on a 45-nanometer dual core Wolfdale architecture and seems to work at 3.33 GHz (the stock core clock speed). The Wolfdale processor will come with 6MB of L2 cache and will feature a thermal design power of 65 watts, which is quite impressive, given its 3.33GHz core frequency. Moreover, its low thermal envelope will allow enthusiasts to overclock it without problems in order to squeeze some 300-500 MHz using air-based cooling solutions. The Core 2 Duo E8600 will give Intel some maneuver space, as AMD is gearing up for launching its dual- and tri-cores during the second quarter of the year. The B4 silicon revision is promising excellent AMD overclockers.

 

However, Intel is still keeping its 45-nanometer CPU stash hidden from the eyes of its customers. Although the company has been shipping its 45-nanometer Core 2 Extreme 9650 for some time, there will be little 45-nanometer-based parts to emerge during this quarter. 

Only two percent of Intel's consumer-oriented CPUs will be based on the Intel Core 2 Quad 45-nanometer architecture, and only three percent of the chips will belong to the 45-nanometer Core 2 Duo family. The 65-nanometer dual core processor will claim their lion share on the market (about 42 percent of the total shipments), while the 65-nanometer quads will account for only 5 percent of the total shipments.

Moving along, the Dual Core E2000 series will represent 29 percent of Intel's shipments, and the Celeron 400 will only account for 14 percent of total consumer CPU shipments this quarter. The big surprise is yet to come, as 2008 seems to be the first year when Intel will not ship any Pentium-class processor. The company has successfully transitioned to the Core technology in both low- and high level products. 

The chip manufacturer seems to have buried the last of the Netbursts, the dual-core Pentium D processor. Intel basically built its reputation on the Pentium brand and terminating the family surely was a tough decision. Pentium D is practically a museum rarity as of 2008, but don't worry, the Core 2 Celeron or the E1000 series give more than the Pentium D could even imagine.

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